Lumberjack 100 (part 1)—Pre Race

The week leading up to LJ100 was INSANITY. Chad was working 12 hour days, my work was busy, I was trying to squeeze in extra time with the kids, pack the kids for their weekend with the grands, pack Chad and myself for the race, pack for my mini-post-race vacation, . . . insanity.

Rest? Recovery? Eating well? That all went out the window. Chad and I were just trying to survive.

The plan was to take Friday off. That way no matter how crazy the week had been, we would have all day before the race to do any last-minute preparations and make our way up to Manistee. We planned on camping in our travel-trailer. We would also be driving separate because after LJ100 I would be heading further north to Glen Arbor for a few days with some friends while Chad would be going home.

Wednesday arrived and Chad said to me "I may have to work for a couple of hours on Friday morning."

This was not good. Chad tends to greatly underestimate his work schedule.

Then Thursday arrived. Chad was working well into the evening. Jim, our friend who also raced LJ100 and Rob our Pit-Crew Master came over to go over final race details. I had not heard from Chad. It was stressing me out. Do I pack everything in the camper or do I pack my car in case Chad can't make the race?

Jim and Rob left around 8:30 PM. I had a ton of packing and preparation yet to do. Chad arrived home around 9:30 PM.

Me "What's the plan tomorrow."
Chad "I have to work."
Me "Okay, so should I pack everything in my car or in the camper?"
Chad "Why?"
Me "Well, are you going to make the race? Or do you have to work."
Chad "I'll be there. I may not get there until 1 AM, but I'll be there."
Me "So I should pack the camper."
Chad "I said I would be there."

And so I packed everything in the camper except for my bike and a carry-on bag with a few essentials.

Saturday morning:
Chad "So you have everything you need for the race in case I don't make it up, right?"
Me "Wha . . .? You said you'd be there?"
Chad "I'm going to try, but if work is a disaster and I can't make it, I don't want to have another disaster on my hands."
Me "@#@*#*@."

(This may not be an entirely accurate description of events, but that is how I remembered it)


I had to unpack the camper and repack my car. Now, if you're reading this and you have a camper you understand that you have the benefit of a full kitchen. My carefully, scientifically proven pre-race meal plan was just thrown out the window with the potential loss of our travel trailer. More importantly, I would not have my coffee machine with me. I could have cried. In fact, I'm sure I did.

Eventually I got in my car and headed north alone and feeling very unsettled and uncertain. I did not want to do this race without my partner. If he was estimating he may not get up North until 1 AM, that very well could mean he would not make it at all.

Manistee

I arrived in Manistee a few hours later and made my way over to Manistee National Forrest where the race venue was. It was a little early for packet-pick up so I thought I would ride the course a bit. I still had a sense of uneasiness about Chad. If I was stressed out about him working late I could not imagine how he must be feeling. He'd been working many long days outside in the heat. If I were him, I wouldn't want to race at all.

I only managed a few short miles on the course. Riding only increased my anxiety instead of relieving it.

I was thankful when my friend Michelle called and said she had arrived in town. We met up to do packet-pickup together. I let out all my worries onto her. It was getting late into the afternoon/early evening and I still had not heard from Chad. Our big race weekend we had planned to do together was falling apart. Poor Michelle, I was a blubbering mess.

At some point Chad finally called, around 6ish? and said that I should reserve a site at the State Park where Michelle's family was camping for the weekend. Originally we planned to park the camper at a friends rustic cabin where Jim and Rob were staying near the race venue. Chad was concerned there wouldn't be electricity there.


Me "So you're going to make it?"
Chad "I don't know. It's going to be late."
Me Sniff sniff.

And so I headed to the State Park behind Michelle. I sat around their campfire and took a stroll along the Lake. Chad texted "I'm on my way." Yay! It was earlier than we thought. He would arrive around 9:30-10 PM. Late, but definitely not as late as it could have been.

The knot of anxiety I'd been carrying all week melted away. Everything would be fine. Chad was going to make it. We'd be together for our first 100 mile mountain bike race.